September/October Favorites 2007
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
Ten-year-old Zoe Elias has perfect piano dreams. She can practically feel the keys 
under her flying fingers; she can hear the audience's applause. All she needs is a baby grand so she can start her lessons, and then she'll be well on her way to Carnegie Hall.
But when Dad ventures to the music store and ends up with a wheezy organ instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note. Learning the organ versions of old TV theme songs just isn't the same as mastering Beethoven on the piano. And the organ isn't the only part of Zoe's life that's off-kilter, what with Mom constantly at work, Dad afraid to leave the house, and that odd boy, Wheeler Diggs, following her home from school every day.
Yet when Zoe enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, she finds that life is full of surprises--and that perfection may be even better when it's just a little off center.
The children booksellers at the Wellesley Booksmith LOVE this one!
The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going
Evie reluctantly moves with her widowed father to Beaumont, New York, where he has bought an apple orchard, dismissing rumors that the town is cursed and the trees 
haven't borne fruit in decades. Evie doesn't believe in things like curses and fairy tales anymore--if fairy tales were real, her mom would still be alive. But odd things happen in Beaumont. Evie meets a boy who claims to be dead and receives a mysterious seed as an eleventh-birthday gift. Once planted, the seed grows into a tree overnight, but only Evie and the dead boy can see it--or go where it leads. The Garden of Eve mixes spine-tingling chills with a deeply resonating story that beautifully explores grief, healing, and growth
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
Princess Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight just like her great grandfather, 
but the truth is, life at the family castle is rather boring. Until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. He's got a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim as his own the wonderful singing spell books that belong to Igraine's magician parents. To make matters worse, at the very moment of the siege, her mom and dad botch a spell, turning themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant and a Sorrowful Knight, it's up to Igraine to be brave and save the day--and the books!
New In Paperback
My Guardian Angel by Sylvia Weil
Feisty and smart, Elvina is not your average 12-year-old. She adores reading, writing, and studying like the boys. And she detests silly girls' chores, like keeping chicken eggs warm until they hatch. But she is also skilled in the art of healing, a skill that ultimately gets her into trouble.
It's the 11th Century in France, and the Crusades are on a campaign to rid France of the Jews. The Jews live in terror and are on high alert that danger is drawing near to their town. One night, while Elvina is alone in her house, she hears a rap on the door. Can her guardian angel keep her safe?
Silk Umbrellas by Carolyn Marsden
her grandmother and assist her as she paints floral and animal patterns on brightly colored silk umbrellas. Noi is beginning to paint herself, feeling the shape of a leaf inside her mind and letting it out through the brush. Her mother makes mosquito nets and her father makes bricks, but there is still not quite enough to support the family. Noi's older sister Ting is sent to the factory to assemble radios. She works very long hours, even on Saturday and holidays. Noi is horrified, and more so when her grandmother takes to her bed during the rains and does not paint. But during the holiday of the Floating Baskets, Loy Krathong, Noi finds a way to contribute to the family and her place in it. The language is soft and clear as rainwater, a glimpse into a way of life little known to American children. Marsden includes a brief Thai glossary. (Kirkus Review)
